Method of annealing fence-wire.



Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

N. Y a l 1 1 v r ill I i4. 0 1 ill. II\\ m w N\ m -W. H. SUMMER. METHOD OF ANNEAlING FENCE WIRE. APPLICATION $1150 in I. 1914.

Viv-Q1255 E6 WILLIAM H. SUMMER, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

METHOD OF ANNEALING FENCE-WIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

Application filed May 7, 1914. SeriaI No. 837,026.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SOMMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Peoria. in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Annealing Fenceire, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to a new and improved method of annealing fence wire. I

Fence wire has been annealed in one of two ways; either by a molten metal process, or by the furnace process. The molten metal process is the more common and more generally used by manufacturers of fence wire.

In drawing wire it becomes stiff and brittle, and to reduce this brittleness and increase flexibility, the wire is annealed by subjecting the same to a temperature, preferably, of about 1,000 to 1,l00 Fahr., otherwise the wire will be unfit for fabricating the same into wire fence, barbwire or other purposes, except nails.

The molten metal and furnace processes are inefiicient and objectionable, mainly on account of the cost of maintaining a sufficient temperature in theimolten metal pans, or furnace, at the point where the wires enter the same. With the molten metal process this is the more, objectionable, for

.the reason, that at times the Wire will enter the pans at the freezing point, by this I mean, at or below 32 Fahn, as the room in which the annealing is done usually contains no heat, and if the metal is not kept very hot it will freeze around the wire and cause the wire to break when a splice enters the pan. The furnace process is objectionable for the reason that the temperature is maintained at such a high degree as willcause the wires to become oxidized, should they break and stop within the furnace, creating considerable loss in wire waste, as all that portion of wire stopping. within the furnace and becoming oxidized must be scrapped. The molten metal process is less objectionable, in this respect, for the rea-,

son, that the wires if broken and stopped in the bath are covered with metal and W111 not become oxidized, and therefore very little wastes on this account.

One of the objects which I have vin view, therefore, is to reduce the cost of annealing wire, by combining with a molten metal annealingv furnace, a pre-heating device through which the wires pass before entermg the metal bath, so as to raise the temperature of the wires to as high a point as possible before they enter the bath. This pre-heating device is heated by the waste gases which leave the annealing furnace, but which do not come in contact with the wire, and costpractically nothing, and is therefore a clear gain.

A further object which I' have in view, is to provide for heating the preheating device with the [waste gases from said annealing furnace to a degree which will raise the temperature of the Wire previous to its entering the molten metal bath, but which will not be such as to cause oxidizing of the wire in the .event of breakage and stopping of the wire in said pre-heating device, thus obviating wire waste in case of breakage and stoppage, as aforesaid.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus showing the preferred form by means of which the process may be carried out. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged crosssection as the same would appear if taken on the line 3- 3 of Fig. 1.

1 designates a molten metal annealing furnace containing a number of combustion chambers 2, having connecting gas passages 3.- Said furnace is constructed, preferably, with a tunnel 4 leading to a stack 5. 6 and 7 denote pans adapted to contain a suitable molten metal, preferably lead, through which the wires pass. It is preferable to' maintain a temperature of about 900 Fahn, in the bath 6, and a temperature of about 1200 Fahr. in the bath 7.

8 designates a pre-heating device connecting with and leading from the annealvice which support a plurality of wire guiding tubes 12 which open out of the outer and inner walls of said pre-heating device, for the ingress and egress of the wires entering and leaving said pre-heating device.

The wires A are ledfrom suitable reels or supports 13 to and through the tubes 12,

- chambers 2 in the annealing furnace l have two outlets, one through the tunnel 4 and out through the stack 5, and the other through the passage 9 and up and between the supports 11 and tubes 12 and out through the stack 10. The stack 10 is preferably provided with a damper 14, of suit-able construction, which regulates the flow of gas through the pre-heating device and thereby. determines the temperature therein. By having the two stacks 5 and 10, I obviate the danger of overheating said pre-heating device, which will prevent oxidizing of the wire in the pre-heating device: in the event of breakage and stopping of the wire or wires.

In carrying out the inventiomthe temperature of the waste gases entering and passing through the pre heating device will produce sufficient heat therein as to raise the temperature of the wires A before they enter the molten metal bath, thus obviating the necessity of maintaining more than just sufficient heat to keep the molten metal in a state or condition to properly and efliciently anneal the wires, and with a minimum cost of fuel, and the fires in the annealing furnace may be replenished at less frequent intervals than heretofore. I

'can, therefore, anneal the wire at a much .the use of a molten metal furnace maycontain, with less labor and expense, and in raising the temperature of the wires before they enter the metal bath, do so at little or no expense, and with no danger of oxidizing of the wires in case of breakage and stopping of the wires.

What I claim is 1. The herein described method of annealing wire, which consists in passing the wire through an annealing furnace having a combustion chamber and a gaseous passage with a stack leading directly from the chamber and an escape leading from the gaseous passage to provide an escape for waste gases which do not escape through the chamber stack, and previous to such passage, of the wire through the furnace, subjecting such wire to the heat of the waste gases'from said furnace in the gaseous passage, without the products of combustion coming into contact with said wire.

2. The herein described method of annealing wire, which consists in passing the wire through a molten metal bath of a furnace having a combustion chamber and a gaseous passage with a stack leading from the chamber and an escape leading from the gaseous passage to provide an escape for waste gases which do not escape through the chamber stack, and previous to the wire entering said bath passing the same through a preheater, said pre-heater comprising the gaseous passage being heated by the waste gases from the molten metal bath but without the products of combustion coming into contact with the wire.

' WILLIAM H. SUMMER. Witnesses:

CHAS. W. LA Pon'rn, HA'znn SARSFIELD. 

